Anyone remember the 1988 film, "A Fish Called Wanda"?
Look it up. Otto West, a brute with pretensions to high culture, regards
himself as Buddhist. He practices his Japanese sword exercises with Western
classical music in the background -- and behaves outrageously.
Wanda, the title character, reprimands Otto.
In the midst of the verbal fireworks Wanda says something very important.
Corboy: Hello, all you self created teachers out there:
Hear what Wanda has said to the outrageous Otto West?
"The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself.""
There are some great lost cultural treasures from thirty years ago, and in Corboy's opinion, this is one of them.
We have had quite a parade of "outrageous" "revolutionary" "passionate" "courageous" teachers by now.
Werner Erhard (He claimed that his seminars were based on Zen Buddhism.)
*Adi Da
Chogyam Trungpa
*Andrew Cohen
*Marc Gafni
Teal Swan
Jetsunma Akhon Lamo/Catherine Burroughs/Catherine Zeoli
Bentinho Massaro
(The ones with asterisks have all been endorsed by Ken Wilber, he of the Wyatt Earpy Potty Mouth Fire Sermon)
These days, you can peddle a loud mouthed profanity filled "message" call it Buddhism and get away with it.
Back in 1988, whoever wrote that part of the screenplay for A Fish Called Wanda
showed greater awareness that Buddhism was not every man for himself.
Things have reached a point where
Look it up. Otto West, a brute with pretensions to high culture, regards
himself as Buddhist. He practices his Japanese sword exercises with Western
classical music in the background -- and behaves outrageously.
Wanda, the title character, reprimands Otto.
In the midst of the verbal fireworks Wanda says something very important.
Quote
Wanda: [after Otto breaks in on Wanda and Archie in Archie's flat and hangs him out the window] I was dealing with something delicate, Otto. I'm setting up a guy who's incredibly important to us, who's going to tell me where the loot is and if they're going to come and arrest you. And you come loping in like Rambo without a jockstrap and you dangle him out a fifth-floor window. Now, was that smart? Was it shrewd? Was it good tactics? Or was it stupid?
Otto West: Don't call me stupid.
Wanda: Oh, right! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you. I've worn dresses with higher IQs. But you think you're an intellectual, don't you, ape?
Otto West: Apes don't read philosophy.
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.
Corboy: Hello, all you self created teachers out there:
Hear what Wanda has said to the outrageous Otto West?
"The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself.""
There are some great lost cultural treasures from thirty years ago, and in Corboy's opinion, this is one of them.
We have had quite a parade of "outrageous" "revolutionary" "passionate" "courageous" teachers by now.
Werner Erhard (He claimed that his seminars were based on Zen Buddhism.)
*Adi Da
Chogyam Trungpa
*Andrew Cohen
*Marc Gafni
Teal Swan
Jetsunma Akhon Lamo/Catherine Burroughs/Catherine Zeoli
Bentinho Massaro
(The ones with asterisks have all been endorsed by Ken Wilber, he of the Wyatt Earpy Potty Mouth Fire Sermon)
These days, you can peddle a loud mouthed profanity filled "message" call it Buddhism and get away with it.
Back in 1988, whoever wrote that part of the screenplay for A Fish Called Wanda
showed greater awareness that Buddhism was not every man for himself.
Things have reached a point where